Choosing Blue For Beautiful Bedrooms

Blue is one of the most calming of all colours and can be very easy to work with. Modern and contemporary homes are looking more and more to the qualities of blues such as navy, teal, azure and cobalt.

Like green, the colour blue reminds us of outdoor spaces and nature - specifically our skies and various bodies of water. This connection can also give answers as to why blue is so calming - dreamy blue skies and soothing water therapies. Our contemporary blues do have a tendency to steer towards ocean and aquatic blues that have a gentle shimmer to them.

The many different shades of blue can carry various colours but to stay on trend you should keep things simple with cool neutrals such as a light grey or a pale pink which will lighten darker blues.

Smoky and blue-grey tones are so very now and the best colour for a sophisticated bedroom. Go with a few different shades and give the bedspread or curtains a sheen fabric for added depth and interest. On the contrary, young adults or teens might prefer a more fun approach with bold blues. Make the most of it by adding an accent colour such as hot pink curtains and accessories.

Turquoise is this year's most trendy colour choice and is a blue-green shade. In fact, we are seeing a lot of natural blue-green shades right now and they are definitely the way forward for an ultra modern bedroom interior. Bright and subtle tones are equally on trend and smoky blues are favoured for a more sophisticated edge - well matched with cool neutrals.

Image: House of Turquoise

Ideas For Decorating Children's Bedrooms: A Beach Theme

First, you will need to pry open the door and assess the storage situation. Most of the time, it is the ever-growing pile of toys and books that make us shudder on entering our child's bedrooms. It is this clutter and chaos that makes us realise that something needs to be done and it wouldn't be harmful to give the whole room a makeover!

Buying some extra storage would be a good move in the right direction. The cheaper options are plastic boxes with clip on lids - choose them in bright colours to add eye-candy for kids or even consider normal waste bins in bright colours for storing anything from toys, school supplies and hats. You will feel a lot better knowing that all of their possessions have a given space and they will like the bright colour additions!

Children absolutely love the beach so they will be fascinated to see their own bedroom transform into their very own private beach cove! Strongly linked with summer holidays, the beach theme will play on light and bright colours to have that sunshine feeling. Choose bedding and curtain sets in colours inspired by the sea. Involve your children with the decorating process - they will give lots of hints at to what they love about the beach and how you can incorporate their ideas into the room or even as a focal point.
Image: On Interior Design

Interior Trends of 2011 – Emotional Austerity

 Due to the financial recession the world of interior design believes that people are asking themselves questions to what they believe they need to live well. This is or has led to the emergence of simple living styles, formal or severe designs which mixes the fundamental basics and old with the newest modern and high-tech ideas. To put simply – Vintage, Modern is an interior design trend which will be seen throughout this year.
To get the latest looks you'll need to do some forward thinking by looking back in history as these time periods will be at the forefront of new trends and colours.
Tudor: This era was rich in voluminous velvets, tear-drop pears and tapestry accents.
Mayan, Inca and Hopi: Tribal influences will be seen in the use of geometric floral fabrics, trapezoids and early images of the sun.

1940s: This decade will once again influence interiors by featuring light maple, pecan and walnut, with fabrics such as seersucker, jersey and cable knits for home-made cushions and throws, curtains, blinds and soft furnishings.

Vintage, modern is an eclectic mix of old and new which enables us to revert back to old ways of hand or home-made to save money and be bang on-trend.

Image: atticmag